


The Cold-Hearted Daemon

by LuckyLand



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Canon Deaths (To an Extent), Changes in the Canon (I Guess Due to the Time Span?), Chocobos, Conquest, Daemon Feels, Daemons, Detective Work, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Smut, Falling In Love, Forbidden Love, Imprisonment, Mild Language, Minor Character Death, Moogle Chocobo Carnival, Moogles, Rare Pairings, Scheming, Sexual Inexperience, Slow Burn, Teasing, Tension, Terrorism, Tough choices
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-18
Updated: 2017-03-18
Packaged: 2018-10-07 01:06:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10348995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuckyLand/pseuds/LuckyLand
Summary: In letting the Accursed King within her icy heart, she bore the weight of the world upon her shoulders and drove a wedge between her duty and her want. Her duty, to see the hope for the future fulfilled, the promise of living another day by the hand of the Lucian Kings of yore, hangs in the balance of her want, the sweet, gentle embrace of that usurping king. Which ever she is to chose will ultimately lead to the blossoming of one and the utter destruction of the other. To chose between her love and her destiny has split her both at mind and heart.





	1. It's Better If You Don't Understand

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BonDeSoren](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BonDeSoren/gifts).



> I was very dissappointed to see that not a lot of stories involving this ship existed... so, I decided to write one myself. #ThisShipNeedsAppreciation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Medias Res)  
> Gentiana faces the Luna and Ravus, her intentions clear and ruse figure out, yet she still can't help but have her mind wander back to Aryden for comfort.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Name is Based of of Bruno Mars's The Other Side Ft. Cee-Lo Green and B.O.B.

“How could you do this, Gentiana?” The oracle blinked away furious tears from her eyes as the messenger sat still with silence. Her stoicism was infuriating. How could she possibly sit still and not utter a word?! “How could you betray us like this?!”

Gentiana remained silent, much to Lunafreya’s anger. She had an explanation as to why, but she feared the oracle’s response. The young oracle knew nothing of the joys she had come to experience with the daemon vessel known as the chancellor, and had Ravus not have dug deeper than he should have into the matter, then Lunafreya would have never found out in the first place. The troublesome brother of the oracle stood blocking the door, ready to fight Gentiana should she attempt to escape. Gentiana sent a venomous glare his way. Things would have been a lot easier if he just would have left it alone.

“Gentiana!” Lunafreya desperately tried to wipe away her tears as she screeched the messenger’s name. “Answer me! Why?!”

It was at this time Gentiana opened her eyes to look at the oracle, the first time she had done so ever since she arrived. Her green eyes stayed on the fuming oracle for a moment, then turned towards the window. “…I have not betrayed you.”

“Oh?” Ravus approached the messenger, placing his sword down into the marble floor beneath. How could she just say that, that she hasn’t been deceiving them all this time? The scorn within his eyes was intense. “You say such a lie knowing you’ve been caught fraternizing with the enemy?”

“It is not a lie.” Gentiana could feel her voice waver. She had so much to tell the two… there was so much that they didn’t know about him, so much that they simply didn’t understand about the chancellor’s reasoning for why he was doing what he was doing. There was a heart underneath all those layers of daemons, and that heart beats just as that of any other human being. With a single sigh, Gentiana looked up at Ravus, exciting him to grip his sword tighter with the intent of slicing her should she aim to attack. Regardless of this, Gentiana slowly looked over to Ravus, shutting her eyes once more. “You simply don’t understand.”

“What don’t we understand?!” Lunafreya snapped walking right in front of the messenger, hot tears still rolling down her cheeks. “How could you possibly justify such a thing?!”

Gentiana fell silent again, turning her attention away from both Fleuret siblings, much to the vexation of both of them. She just wanted to leave, to escape somewhere, to greet her darkest of knights. But at the same time, she wanted things to clear themselves, for this not to end in shambles like Ardyn assumed it would. Lord knew that wasn’t at all what she wanted.

“…Your silence is you greatest giveaway.” Ravus wandered towards Gentiana, and handed her a simple photo.

The messenger looked at the photo briefly, then glared at Ravus. The imperial mercenary forced the photo towards her once more, this time revealing the picture underneath. Gentiana could feel herself break out into a cold sweat as the full view of the picture became visible.

Ravus’s face took on a more stoic look. “Look familiar?”

The chancellor was in the picture, seated on a wooden chair with the messenger herself sitting in his lap. She remembered how she cradled his neck in order to be as close as possible to him, her head resting on his chest. She recalled how sweet he was that day, how he had lacked his usual sarcastic nature that day. On that one day, the usurper felt most like a human, the usual corpse-like and daemonic aura he emitted completely gone. But above all, Gentiana remembered how happy she was that day. That day had been how it started, the beginning of her yearning to see him each and every day, even if he were none the wiser of it. The messenger bit her lip, fighting back the lump forming in her throat. She knew what the oracle and the mercenary wanted her to do. They wanted her to abandon him, to leave him all alone again, but in doing so, she’d be betraying her own heart’s desires, a feat that she would surely come to regret. She tore her eyes away from the picture, clenching her jaw. She would not utter another word.

“Is that not you?” Ravus inquired dropping the photo to the floor at her feet.

Gentiana said nothing, prompting Ravus to continue pressing for an answer. He took one more imposing step towards the goddess, to whom she didn’t even flinch.

“Is that not you with the imperial chancellor?!” He demanded, raising his voice at the messenger.

He slowly rose his sword to where it was a few inches above the photo. Gentiana quickly glanced at the photo, then to the weapon, and then back to the floor. That picture… meant so much to her, yet if she were to show just how much it meant to her, then the two siblings would surely be able to label her as a traitor. Gentiana continued to hold her tongue. Ravus let out an irritated grunt at her lack of a response. “You still choose to stay quiet?!”

Lunafreya huffed furiously as Gentiana still didn’t respond. It wasn’t even the fact that she was spending time with chancellor Izunia that made her upset at the time, it was the fact that she wasn’t even answering any of the questions they had. All she wanted to know was why. Ravus, now thoroughly annoyed with the messenger’s stubbornness, stabbed his sword through the photo beneath, making sure to cut straight through the chancellor’s face and to the marble flooring. He then looked back at Gentiana, who still refused to look directly at him. “To think you were hiding it in plain sight too… as a… tch… bookmark.”

Gentiana winced as the photo was damage. It was painful to simply watch that photo get cut, it truly was. An angered tear rolled down the messenger’s cheek. She was frustrated and angered, mostly at herself more than anything else. Why had life decided to be so cruel to her? Why had it dealt her the bad hand and prevented her from keeping both the oracle and the usurping king?

“Gentiana, out with it.” Lunafreya grappled Gentiana’s chair, pulling herself closer to the messenger. Her blue eyes sparkled with a certain fierceness despite the fresh tears still damp on her face. She just wanted to know why and what the two were even talking about. “Please… tell us.”

“What is it that you want from me?!” Gentiana snapped, rising quickly from her chair.

The messenger could no longer keep her cool. She had to know what they expected of her. Did they want her to deny it? Or did they expect her to state her loyalty? They both should already know the answer to any question they asked her, for they were the ones that caught her. She would do no such explaining.

She was simply the messenger here. Nothing more, nothing less.

She didn’t know what answer would allude to non-conflict oriented matters, but it was too late to keep quiet. She had already broken her own silence. Staying quiet wasn’t an option anymore. She could no longer bare the two of them scolding her like a mere child.

“What we want,” Ravus spat, grabbing Gentiana’s shoulder, “is the truth.

“…I’ve told you as much of the truth as I can. I am not against you.” Gentiana walked towards the door, brushing off Ravus’s hand. Both siblings watched the messenger approach the door, yet soon Lunafreya started after Gentiana.

“But, you’re not with us either, are you, Gentiana?” Gentiana paused at the doorway, holding the door wide open. She slowly turned her head back to face the young oracle, another tear rolling down her other cheek. She stood in utter silence looking at Lunafreya for countless seconds until finally she turned away. It was painful to see that the oracle now harbored a sort of distrust for her, but it was brought out by her own hand. She could do little to change that now.

“M-my oracle… I’m… Neutral.” She said as more tear trickled down her face, “I’m neither with nor against you.”

Ravus rushed after his sister and the messenger. “You cannot be neutral! You must be on one side or the oth-“

“The see me on whichever side suits your fancy.’ Gentiana left the room at that, closing it behind her.

“Gentiana!” Lunafreya rushed out of the door after the messenger only to see that she had vanished.

“Urn! Where did she go?!” Ravus raced out of the room, searching high and low for Gentiana, but wasn’t able to find her. She had left the place entirely in search of the chancellor, in search of her daemon: Ardyn Izunia.


	2. Killing Me Softly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gentiana, on her venture to Tenebrae to deliver the Trident of the Oracle to Lunafreya, is greeted by a tortoise of great proportions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter name is based off of Beyonce's Countdown.

_ (Several Months Earlier) _

_ Lady Luna… please hold on for just a bit longer. Your king is on his way. _

Gentiana rushed over the passages in her true form, the blue god flying amongst the beautiful doves along with her, gripping her ladyship’s Trident of the Oracle tightly. The messenger was on her way to Tenebrae to see the princess and deliver her weapon of choice to her. She hoped to see her unharmed and doing well, what with imperial forces closing in on her homeland. The Lucian prince, Noctis, would surely be on his way towards her to confront Leviathan… and to see his darling oracle of course. With his company, surely Lunafreya would be alright. After all, she had been watching him thus far on his journey, and she’s seen him grow both his strength and in wisdom. 

He truly was walking tall. 

He’d be sure to get rid of the Niflheim scum plaguing the land. The messenger would be sure to tell her of the prince’s arrival. She just had to make it there in good time. The messenger continued to fly until she finally stopped upon the peak of a mountain, looking over the vast land beneath. She had quite a ways to go, for she was only nearby Hammerhead. She glared around the area, watching the plenteous life graze the land. She smiled as the beasts of the land continued on with their daily, peaceful lives. 

_ How beautiful these simple lives are…   _ She thought, sighing happily.  _ Bless… _

Suddenly, the ground shook violently beneath the messenger, startling her. The once peaceful beasts of the land took off running at the tremors. The cars on the road swerved and shook violently as the miniature quake continued. Gentiana fell to her knees as the feeling worsened.

_ An earthquake?! _ She thought trying to stabilizing her footing. 

A loud roar broke into the silence of the wasteland. It was at that point that Gentiana knew that she in fact was not alone on that mountain, or rather, that what she was standing on was no mere mountain. Four legs, dusty and massive, sprouted from the creature she stood on. It rose its head, taking the Goddess up along with it then roared once more.   

_ …Adamantoise. _ Gentiana flew off the beast, creating a large space between herself and the beast. However, Adamantoise swiped her out of the sky. She struggled to stable herself in the sky, making sure not to hit the ground. Once more, the Trident of the Oracle, hurtled from the sky and onto the ground. Gentiana gasped as he beast’s massive paw raced towards it. 

The messenger raced towards the weapon, but knew she wouldn’t be able to beat the beast to it. “No!”

With a mighty thud, Adamantoise had crushed the trident underneath his paw. Gentiana, flew around his foot, trying to pry the beast off the trident. 

“Come now! Please move!” Gentiana pleaded, struggling to push the beast from the weapon. “My ladyship needs that!”  

The stubborn earth tortoise kept its leg at bay, content with the small ice messenger fluttering around his leg. After a while, Gentiana finally blasted the beast with ice. The beast cried out, but still didn’t move, much to the goddess’s dismay. 

“What a bother…” She sighed. 

However, the sound of air racing caught Gentiana’s ear. She turned only to see his massive leg racing to crush her. Gentiana dodged Adamantoise’s fierce swipe, the air knocking her back. The beast struck the ground, creating a mighty crater beneath. She flew to the sky; and Adamantoise followed with his massive claw. He grazed her, making her fall, but not to the ground. She shot ice at him, slowing his arm’s pace. Adamantoise broke through the ice in time, hitting her once more. She fell straight out of the sky and tumbled on the dusty ground, her blue skin becoming bruised. Adamantoise took the opportunity and rose his leg once again, aiming to kill her. Gentiana struggled to counter the attack. She held her own against the massive hit, but he proved too strong. She was pummeled into the ground. Pain shook through all her body. His massive foot crushed her into the ground. Out came the blood from her mouth and the loud crunch of her bones. She was down and would most definitely be out. Once more, Adamantoise rose his leg into the air, ready to crush the messenger to death. She struggled to get up, but healing wasn’t easy at all in her state. With his large arm hurtling towards her, Gentiana lay in anguish. Her death was fast approaching her. What would become of the young oracle in her absence? Moreover, what would become of the world without her? Both thoughts made the goddess mournful. To think that she would die here… 

“M-my lady…” She coughed, writhing a bit. “I’m so sorry… I-I… urk! I’ve failed you…” 

The messenger’s breathing became deep and shallow, her vision blurred and blackened, and she began to feel unbelievably cold as the beast’s arm raced towards her. 


	3. Going Places Where You Don't Belong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gentiana awakes at the hands of the Imperial Army, their bargain one that simply cannot afford to refuse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title comes from Hotline Bling by Drake.

As Gentiana's eyes opened, her limbs flexed in shock. Everything felt sore, too sore. She was quick to note the liquid surrounding them, the weighted feeling somehow easing her body of its pain. Bubbles rushed up from beneath her, causing her hair to run in a flurry of ways. She was also quick to note the mask covering over her mouth and nose. The only other thing that meets her skin is the surrounding glass gently touching sides of her arms and legs. Her arms and legs, as she realized upon trying to move them, were also held in some sort of confinement, because she wasn't able to move them freely at all. Even her neck was under this confinement, she could barely move her head enough to get a good look around.  Her senses, though very blurry, revealed a sort of small, metallic area. There were people… or maybe beasts in there, that she could tell.

_W-where... Where am I?_ The messenger thought honing her senses to the best of her ability.

A small muffled sort of tapping noise began to clearly come to the messenger’s ears, prompting her to glance in the direction of the noise. Something… or rather, someone was tapping her confinement space. The figure started speaking once she had turned her attention to them, but what they were saying Gentiana couldn’t decipher. Their speech was far too muffled for her to make out, but their voice did seem familiar, its masculinity and somewhat harmonic vibe giving Gentiana chills. In fact, the person’s aura… she had sensed it once before. From where, she couldn’t yet recall, but the aura was unmistakable, the right blend of daemon and human. The figure eventually got up from his position, moving towards a another figure. The two discussed something and much to Gentiana’s dismay, she still could not understand what they were saying.

“You awake in there?” A single voice questioned.

Gentiana turned her attention over to where the voice had come from. The figure had a more calming yet robust nature to her and unlike the other potent aura, this one was significantly weaker and didn’t have a trace of daemon. It had a sort of imperial feel to it… almost as if…

A horrible thought came to the messenger at that point.

_...Imperials?_ The messenger struggled to find where she was through senses alone, yet everything was slowly becoming clear.

“My my, is she waking up now?” That familiar voice… its speech she could hear, “Thank goodness.” She still couldn’t tell who it was…  “I was beginning to think that overgrown turtle proved too much for her.”

“Well,” another voice, one that sounded strangely like the voice of the oracle’s brother, seemed to be closer still to her confined space. Was she truly found by the empire… or perhaps Ravus had just found her? Either way, it was truly a burden… She wasn’t exactly sure which side the elder Fleuret stood on, so being near him was always a question of watching what he did. “She is an Astral after all. Such a simple beast couldn’t just easily kill her.”

The Astral finally opened her eyes to view her surroundings. Immediately, the eerie black of the area was a red flag. The numerous soldiers surrounding the area wasn’t any clear indication that she was in good hands either. The final indication however came in the form of an old, wrinkly man adorning white clothing fit for a king, or in this case, an emperor. He strode over to her imprisonment cell, tapping the glass like it were nothing, “Woken up have you, Astral?”, the joy in his voice was masked by that stone cold face of his. “Well, we Niflheim folk welcome you to your new home.”

Gentiana was taken back by the words. “New home?” What on Earth was he talking about? She took to looking around the area, but couldn’t find anything that would be able to keep her here. Ravus was in fact there, but he was a fool to think that he alone could keep her here. The other voice… had to of belonged to the usurper… the bringer of eternal night, or that name he’d much rather be called, “Izunia”. It didn’t matter though, it wasn’t as though he could prevent her from leaving either, powerful as he may have been. Surely that “new home” nonsense was just meant as a threat. There was no true struggle of leaving, nothing here that could keep her there. The other two, the girl, Aranea, and the boy, Loqi, stood in her wake just the same, but the two were mere humans, neither strong enough to take her down. She’d be sure to escape. Right here, right now. She had to see her ladyship off to wake the sleeping Leviathan and greet the prince, not to mention the Trident of the Oracle still needed to be delivered to Lunafreya for her to even begin to summon Leviathan.

It took all but a second for the Astral to free her legs and arms from the metal straps holding her to her small, glass space. With little effort, she had broken free of the glass surrounding her, the shards shattering into even smaller pieces on the ground. The guards pointed their puny weapons at her, but she paid no mind to them. Her only intent was to leave. The emperor however, simply chuckled, much to her surprise. In fact, Ravus kept his peace, his sword still at his side and sheathed. Even the chancellor was at ease of her breaking out, a sign that didn’t sit too well with Gentiana.

“...What has you laughing so?” The Astral asked.

Gentiana bounded closer towards the emperor, who burst into full hysterical laughter. He gave no answer, despite her question. Rage slowly built up within the goddess. How _dare_ he laugh in her face, _this mere mortal_? Before she could even repay him for his insolence, the usurping ki- er.. “Chancellor Izunia” gingerly began to wander towards her, placing his cold, gloved hand on top of her shoulder.

“My dear,” Gentiana’s blank face hid her disgust for such a foul creature even touching her. She of course, wouldn’t dare to show off that emotion to him personally, for that could have very well have been his intent. The daemon had always loved to get rise out of people, it was one of the things that made him who he was, wretched as he may have be. “you wish to leave here so soon?” The man continued, pulling Gentiana a bit closer, to where she could feel his breath on her ear. It was meant to be threatening, yet the Astral kept her resolve. Whatever he threw her way, she could surely give it back harder, yet the fact that he knew this and still continued to treat her as though she were nothing confused her to no end. The daemon adjusted his ridiculous black hat, tipping it just enough over his eyes to where she couldn’t see them. “Aren’t you… _forgetting something_?”

The question took Gentiana back. Obviously, there was in fact something she wasn’t aware of that he was. The conniving king…

“What is it that you are implying?” As Gentiana turned to face Ardyn, his hands flew up in a defensive sort of way while still keeping that cheshire grin on his face, the grin that she wanted to wipe right of his face. “What, pray tell, have I forgotten?”

Ardyn feigned a hurt expression. “Why so cross? I’m simply looking out for my _favorite_ Astral after all.” The way the word favorite rolled off his tongue, as if he were tasting every syllable of the word, made the goddess shiver. He knew just how to push her buttons, the more she looked at him, the more she wanted to freeze and break him.

“You cannot leave here,” Ravus interjected, gaining her attention from Ardyn, who pouted as Ravus ruined his little guessing game. “not without my sister’s trident you can’t.”

The bastards! Gentiana strode up to Ravus, who stood looking down at her. “Where have you hidden it?!”

The Chancellor giggled. “That’s for us to know and for you, my dear, to find out.”

The Astral blew a powerful gust of cold air Ardyn’s way, blowing his hat clean off his head. Ardyn’s smirk grew at her physical threat, spite hiding behind his teeth. “You’ve quite the temper today, goddess…”

“The Chancellor speaks the truth!” Loqi quipped, sitting quiet smugly in his chair, legs crossed and shit-eating grin plastered on his face. “Without that trident, Lunafreya and that Lucian boy can never hope to call for the help of Leviathan!”

Another gust of air blew Loqi right out of his chair. Gentiana looked to the emperor, who had managed to calm himself down enough to look her way, though few chuckles still escaped his mouth.

“You will tell me where it is.” She commanded. The area around her began to get significantly colder, ice forming on the metallic ground. “You will tell me or you will perish.”

“Scary…” Ardyn mused, much to Gentiana’s annoyance.

The emperor waved his finger at the Astral. “I haven’t the slightest idea where it is. It was not me who hid it, my dear.”

Gentiana was taken back by his words, her surprise soon turning to irritation. “If not you, then who here hid it?”

“I did.” Gentiana slowly craned her neck to the Chancellor, who was adjusting his hat once more on his head. The smile he wore infuriated her to no end. Ardyn placed a hand on his hip as he approached Gentiana, his long, suave stride adding to her irritation. He seemed to not have a care in all the world, even in her presence, even knowing that she had the potential to truly kill him if she chose to. “It’s very well hidden too, so much so that I fear even an Astral like you couldn’t find it.”

Gentiana glared at Ardyn, her face not one bit amused. The chancellor backed away just a bit, as if he were hurt by a horrid comment. “You’re going to look at me like that after I’ve answered your question?”

“Hitting him’s not gonna get you Lunafreya’s trident back.” Aranea sighed. “He’s the only one that knows where it is.”

Ravus walked towards Gentiana, this time pointing his sword at the back of her head. “Killing him would just make your search for the trident much harder, wouldn’t it?”

Gentiana sighed before looking towards the emperor once more. “What is it that you’re after with the trident?”

“It’s not the trident we’re after, nor Leviathan.” The emperor strode towards the goddess, placing a single hand on her arm. Gentiana’s face seemed to drop only a bit as he did so, intriguing the elderly man. “No. What we are after is you, Astral.”

_Me?_ Gentiana gave a puzzled sort of look to the elderly man as he gazed up at her, face now stoic and more business-like. _...Why me?_

If they intended for her to join forces with them, they were mistaken. If they intended to forced her into turning against Lady Lunafreya and Prince Noctis, they were sadly mistaken. Moreover, they were insane to believe that she would stay here for more than she needed to. The human (and daemon) filth that stained these machines was far too much for her to even bare for a second. The only reason she was still even here, the only reason why any of them were even still alive, was that she needed the trident. However, the “Chancellor” had hidden it away, and knowing him, he hid it somewhere elaborate, somewhere that would evade the though to both mortals and man, preventing anyone but himself from finding it. To get it back, she would need to give into Niflheim demands… whatever they may have very well have been.

“...Why do you require my assistance?” She asked, taking careful steps backwards. She stopped when the tip of Ravus’s sword poked her back. “What are you planning that would require the aid of an Astral?”

The Chancellor snorted a laugh at her question. “It’s not your assistance we need.”

“Then what?” Gentiana’s patience with Ardyn was wearing thin, and he could very well tell that.

“We want you here to keep you from being a nuisance.” Ravus snapped, swinging his sword downwards to the ground. Gentiana could feel the air swish as the man struck the metal floor. “To keep you from interfering in our affairs… as well as aiding prince Noctis.”

Gentiana held her silence, not daring to say anything. So, that was it then. She was being held so as to stop being a nuisance for Niflheim, to stop aiding the prince and the oracle.

“...If that’s the case, then when will I get my ladyship’s trident back?” Gentiana watched Ardyn closely, waiting to see his answer. The chancellor tipped his hat a bit before doing the best hipcock he could manage, shifting from holding his hip with the other hand and moving all weight to  that one side. She really was cute like this, angered and questioning. It was a shame she was an Astral, and one that worked for that ingrate Lunafreya no less… Still, Ardyn didn’t give anymore of an answer than he needed to, much to Gentiana’s anger. “What will I receive in return for staying-”

“Oh my dear sweet Shi- er… Gentiana… that’s your name, right?” Gentiana’s ears pricked up at the sound of the usurping king almost saying her godly name, something she would never ever want to her come off his dirty lips. Her blank expression turned a bit sour as she stayed watching the chancellor. He simply chuckled at this though, whipping his hair out of his face. “We’ll give you your precious trident after we’ve made sure ourselves that Noctis and his chums are a-okay.”

Gentiana still, not knowing whether or not to believe the chancellor’s words, glared to Ravus, who poked the sword into her back even further. “...Just as long as I stay away?”

“Yes.” The chancellor affirmed. “Just as long as you stay within our safe airships for the time being.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was told by BonDeSoren, the person who I gifted this fic to, that the song Hotline Bling suited the GentianaXArdyn ship perfectly, with Drake sometimes being Ardyn and at other times being Gentiana. At first, I denied that idea completely, but after listening to the song again, with lyrics like "You and me, we just don't get along.", "You make me feel like I did you wrong.", (the title of the actual chapter), "Girl, you got me dyin', got me stressed out.", and of course "You should just be yourself. Right now you're someone else.", I've realized that the song fits the ship uncannily. I hate it. (ꐦ ಠ皿ಠ )


	4. Nothing's Like Before

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At the hands of Niflheim, Gentiana is provided with not much of a choice on the matter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Title is from Simple and Clean by Utada Hikaru. (The theme of Kingdom Hearts)

After being left in an imprisonment cell to mull over her decision, Gentiana sat in silence all throughout the night, her knees tucked into her chest and eyes still in their closed state. The only other sound she could decipher was that of the two imperial guards outside of the room left to guard her should she escape. She had no words for what was going through her mind. Noctis and Lunafreya… would it be betrayal if she left them? Most likely, yes. She couldn’t just sit still and allow the imperials to terrorize the people, let alone Lunafreya and Noctis, but at the same time, her interference would almost certainly guarantee their demises. With that in mind, how could she not take the opportunity to protect both of them by staying out of it altogether? Besides, the two were able to take care of themselves, right? After all, they both were tough kids, tough enough to handle themselves in the cruel, changing world. But then, how were they to call upon Leviathan? Would Lunafreya catch on and figure out some other way of calling her out? Would the Astral goddess even listen to her without her trident? 

_ What a bother… _

All these thoughts became conjoined, much to her disliking. They all added to her unsettled and feared thoughts. She just wanted the future for once to be certain, to once not have to worry about the impending doom the future always brought. She alone would bore the burden of struggling for the assured, bright future, if not the other Astrals. She cared for humanity, far too much for Bahamut’s liking of course, but she couldn’t care less about him. After all, he only interfered with mortal matters when he felt like it, when someone peaked his interest. If the world, no, existence as they knew it were to be endangered, he still wouldn’t raise a hand to help. He and the other four were one in the same, selfish, despite humanity looking for them for answers and aid. The same mortals that prayed for their blessings and protection were the ones they openly ignored and looked down upon when in truth they would be nothing without their blessings and dependence. 

“Hmph. I can practically hear your inner monologue from here…” Gentiana turned towards the chancellor in the doorway, his head cocked playfully to the side and smile wide on his face. She scowled at his aura being in close proximity of her own, then shifted away from him. He certainly wasn’t making this any easier… Ardyn smirked anyway, despite her actions making it all too obvious that she really didn’t want to see him. “Contemplating our offer, Shiva?” 

Before Gentiana could even ask why he had come, she quickly noted how he had addressed her as Shiva, not Gentiana.

“Gentiana.” Her correction was spat at Ardyn. If he wished to address her, then he would call her by her mortal name. No one else was aware of her true nature, no one except those close to her and unfortunately himself. “My name is Gentiana.” 

Ardyn rolled his eyes. “Fine then,  _ Gentiana _ .” Her name came off his tongue so exaggerated, so filled with amusement, that Gentiana herself just sat there looking dumbfounded. Never in her entire life did she  _ not _ want someone to utter her name again, especially how the chancellor had said it. With her name out of his mouth, the daemon leaned against the doorway, looking down at the Astral with amused eyes. They flickered up and down her form a few times over before focusing on her face again. “Now, then about our offer-” 

“I’m still deciding.” The Astral goddess turned her face back down to the ground, dismissing Ardyn mid sentence. In truth, she just wanted the usurper to leave her be. His games were just vexing and the last thing she needed right now was to become vexed. She just wanted him to take the hint and leave. “I don’t have an answer for your little emperor yet.” 

Ardyn rose his hands once again as if to say “Say no more.”, his hat conveniently and dramatically draping over his eyes in a graceful manner. Gentiana pouted when he didn’t leave like she had hoped he would, her brow furrowing just a bit more at his continued presence. Ardyn, after a moment of silence, went to coming a bit closer to Gentiana, who collectively shifted away from him with every step he took. At one point, Ardyn stopped entirely. 

“Why are you backing away, Shiva?” He asked in mock innocence (Gentiana also glowered at him when the name “Shiva” once again escaped his mouth). Ardyn outstretched his arms in a friendly manner, making the Astral scoot away even more. Despite this, after the pause, Ardyn simply continued towards her with open arms. “I’m simply trying to sit next to you.” 

“I’d rather you not, Accursed One.” Gentiana snapped, finding herself in the corner of the room. She felt very hostile, what with the usurping king keeping her boxed up into the corner of the cold metallic prison room, knowing she wished not to have any sort of conversations with him, let alone have him seated next to her. “I’m aware of your hatred towards me and the other Astrals.” 

Ardyn’s face turned blank for a moment, his advances towards her stopping entirely. Then, he looked puzzled. “I only hate five of the six Astrals, my dear. Not all of them.” 

Gentiana’s eyes blinked open at his comment. “What…?” 

“It’s true. I only hate five of you.” Ardyn continued closer even though Gentiana frowned at him sternly. He was… intrigued by her comment. “The one I don’t hate… Well, I have no real causation to.” 

Gentiana was surprised to hear such words escape the daemon’s mouth. It was impossible to believe, what with the usurping king planning for a revenge over everything and everyone. She opened her mouth to speak, but remained silent. She was curious as to which Astral it was. She remained quiet, waiting for the daemon king to continue. Ardyn, seeing as though Gentiana was no longer going to continue interjecting into his spiel, gladly continued talking. 

“That Astral… was kind and sweet to the very end and saw me as a human, even when all the daemonic business was said and done and the other Astrals had turned against me.” Ardyn took a moment to take off his hat, and then very melodramatically, bowed to the Astral before him. “After all, she was the only Astral who actually gave a chocobo’s arse about humanity in the first place…” Ardyn sighed. Recalling all those years in the past was never exactly easy for him to do, but he’d make an acception to Shiva. Who knows? She may just learn something before the sun rose the next day. “...And although that was ions ago,”  Ardyn quickly rose his head to Gentiana, cheshire smile still on his face. His smirk made her untrusting of him once more, but he continued still. He’d be sure to finish this thrilling ideal that he in fact didn’t hate everyone… and to clear an obvious misunderstanding. “I do believe Shiva still does care very much about the well being of humanity.”

_ He’s… calling me… kind? _ Gentiana’s sour expression vanished just a bit at Ardyn’s words. For a moment, for one brief moment, she believed him with all of her heart, that he truly didn’t hate her like the rest. For that reason, her face heated up just a bit, her cheeks flushing lightly. She covered over her mouth with a single hand for a few seconds, a bit too abashed to say anything to Ardyn at the time. What he had said… had thrown her off far more than she would have liked, but she couldn’t help but smile in her state.

He spoke the truth after all. She truly was the only Astral who sought to help humanity… and it didn’t hurt to be called sweet and kind… 

But then reality came back to her. What if the king was just saying this to get on her good side, to get her to drop her guard when near him? The thought flared her insides, so much so that she angrily huffed through her nose. 

“Flattery will get you nowhere, daemon…!” Gentiana snapped.

Ardyn however, wasn’t in her line of sight anymore. He knocked against her shoulder with his own, chuckling at how surprised she looked at the gesture. 

“I didn’t think it would.” He mused, smirking harder than ever back at the goddess.  

Gentiana huffed at him once more, retreating once she got up on her two feet. Ardyn giggled at her hostility. Here he was, trying to be nice and she wasn’t having any of it. 

Oh well. 

“Don’t you have others you can bother?” The Astral snapped, glaring down at Ardyn, who was making himself quite comfortable on the ground. “Surely I’m not your only source of entertainment.” 

Ardyn feigned a pout at the goddess’s words. She truly didn’t want him there. “You’re so cruel. I only came to keep you company.” 

“I wish not to be accompanied by you.” The Astral reassured. 

Gentiana motioned Ardyn towards the door, but the chancellor stayed on the ground, blank-faced and unresponsive. What could have been going through his mind, she didn’t know. Then, after a long silence, Ardyn rose up as gracefully as one could manage, adjusting his hat and dusting himself off. He started off towards the door, walking directly past Gentiana. The Astral was surprised that he actually was leaving like she had wanted. A part of her felt… off by watching him leave. She hadn’t the slightest idea as to why, but she still felt put off by watching him go. She nearly called him back even, something that she quickly shoved to the back of her mind. Ardyn did however, bow to the Astral once more before leaving. 

“Till the next I see you then, Shiva.” 

He left at that, closing the door behind him. Gentiana briefly dwelled on the fact that she felt a bit… lacking that he had left, but soon dropped the idea for the realization that he had called her Shiva. 

“He’s such a bother…” She mumbled, slumping to her knees on the metallic floor. She sat looking at the little light that came through the bottom of the large metal door. “I don’t understand him…” 

_ How fitting… _ She thought looking away from the light.  _ The light is so close to me, yet I’m not able to reach it, not unless I were to do something rash.  _

How long had it been now? Long enough for it to be night? Short enough for it to be day? Had days passed since she was found by the imperials? She didn’t know and quite frankly didn’t want to. The thought of being too late alone made her fearful. Frustration grew with every passing second Gentiana spent in the confinement of her cell. Why was it that she alone was aiding in this matter? For the love of Bahamut, there were six Astrals. Surely all of them could lend a helping hand towards the greater good, right? So then, why was she alone in working with humanity to assure a better fate for them all? She didn’t understand it. I was infuriating. 

_ What sort of Gods are we? We don’t even aid those who praise us and yet… _ Gentiana buried her face within her knees. She tried to think hard about this whole situation. Why was it only her that was willing to aid humanity? What did this all mean to the others? What this a game to them? _ ...they are willing to look up to us through and through. _

What of prince Noctis? What would happen to him and the oracle without aid? The more she thought about the impending future, the more her mind wandered back to the offer given to her by Niflheim. What would happen to her if she were to stay with them? Would she be assured the trident like the chancellor said she would, or would they lie? She couldn’t truly trust them, the people that murdered king Regis after speaking of peace didn’t deserve her trust. 

“Astral.” From the small window of the doorway came Ravus, who seemed very unamused with Gentiana’s presence. “Be ready in the morning. The emperor will be taking you along with him tomorrow to discuss the bargain.” 

Gentiana sat up at his voice and frowned at his demands. “I haven’t decided on your terms ye-” 

“The emperor’s patience is at its end.” Ravus seemed not to care for what she had to say nor what she thought of the terms. “You either accept our offer or get nothing.” He added coldly, gripping the bars of the window. To Ravus, she had to accept the offer. She had no other option but to. He couldn’t stand watching her, an Astral, aid that insufferable prince Noctis. The Caelum bloodline would end by his hand, marking his ultimate revenge and he’d be damned if he let one goddess stand in his way. “You can aid whomever you wish to in due time, but now, you must choose where your loyalty will lie.”

Gentiana scowled at him. He dared to talk to her about loyalty when he himself bordered on aiding his own sister and working against her fiance? “You should follow your own words before you go demanding it of others, imperial.” 

Ravus struck the door with his metal hand, the clang of metal ringing in Gentiana’s confined space. He was furious. How dare she label him a hypocrite? In her situation, she had no area to tell anyone what to do or who they were, especially not him. 

“...You will meet… with the emperor… tomorrow.” These words were filled with spite and spoken through gritted teeth. Ravus struggled to keep his anger to a minimum as he walked away from her cell. 

Gentiana relaxed a bit as he aura slowly became further and further away from her. She never really did take a liking to the oracle’s brother. He was just… so naive and chained to the past. It made for a horrendous prompt for him to join the imperials, for petty vengeance for his mother.  _ Such a misguided boy…  _

Putting Ravus aside though, Gentiana pondered the idea of meeting with the emperor of Niflheim. What a scary thought indeed. This was the man who had orchestrated the murder of king Regis and turned Insomnia into the wasteland it is today. Did she really want to make any sort of deal with him?

No. 

But, did she have a choice? 

As usual, no.   
The oracle needed her trident in order to summon Leviathan in Tenebrae. Without it, they could get to her (not like she would willingly help them to begin with). If this was the only way to regain the trident, then she’d have to do it, no matter how grueling it turned out to be. 

Gentiana sighed deep from her chest.  _ Truly bothersome…  _


End file.
